A hut is quite an easy thing to build to give ease and comfort in a small amount of time: it wouldn’t cost you much, nor take much effort to build it. A house, on the other hand, would cost you some money, time, and effort. It isn’t as easy as compared to a hut; it takes a longer time too.
Though a hut wouldn’t cost you much in resources, it cannot give you the needed protection. It may provide shade and ease for a moment, but it seldom stands the turbulent wind or the test of time.
Jesus in the gospels warns his followers to count the cost before they decide to follow him; He said, Who amongst you wanting to build a house wouldn’t sit down to first calculate the cost. Jesus agrees that it would cost to build a house.
Doctrine is the main thing that forms a person’s life and system of beliefs. The body of teachings that a person accepts forms his worldview and rules his life. It is through the lenses of doctrine that he views the world around him and makes judgment. It shapes his perception and, like broken lenses, refracts whatever is viewed through it; if his doctrine is faulty or “broken,” then his perception or worldview would also be broken.
To follow Jesus is to follow his doctrine, and you cannot follow something you do not know. Jesus says, “He who hears my teaching and does them or obeys them;” you will have to hear and then you obey. He compares obedience to his doctrine to building a house.
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:”
Matthew 7:24 KJV
It’s costly to follow Jesus, and an aspect of this cost is to sit and be taught the very teachings of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ view, to be made a disciple meant to be taught his doctrine until it becomes your worldview, or you begin to practice what you were taught. Such work in a man would take a lot of time, effort, and other resources. It can be compared to building a house!
You could be given a small emotional, motivational, and short exhortation to make you feel all good about yourself but it won’t last; turbulence will settle the argument. An exhortation is like a hut; easy to build, gives quick comfort and rest, but cannot provide shelter and comfort needed in a time of turbulence.
Exhortation has its benefits, I must say but the days we are approaching demand the need to bring to light the importance of what our generation calls “long-boring” doctrine. This doctrine we so easily put aside is that which made the early apostles into the mighty men we speak of, and our neglect is that which has made us so far and different from them.
It wouldn’t cost us much time to just prepare a flamboyant sermon and not so much in listening to enjoy it being orated—even if it did cost us time, it wouldn’t be compared to sitting to learn doctrine, starting from what is called the elementaries.
A hut would give us comfort at a low cost, like an exhortation would. And that is very good, only if we don’t make it our permanent home. For a house, one that can provide shelter from the storms of the age and stand through the seasons beckoning, it would cost us, but it will also ensure we are safe.
The church and its ministers have spent a long time building a lot of huts, and though they are good, our mistake is that we have neglected doctrine and made these exhortations our homes. We made huts and houses, and this has compromised the church its safety.
Don’t get me wrong: exhortation is needed, especially in times like these when it’s easy to be afraid and to be under stress; becoming so anxious about even the least things. But exhortation should never take the place of doctrine.
The church must be taught the teachings of Jesus if she would know Jesus and live like Jesus; if indeed we would become disciples, we will need to be students of the doctrine that Jesus taught. A nice sermon about God’s goodness will not suffice now. Foundations need to be laid, pillars raised; houses built!
We must labour, for the days of turbulence are upon us. The huts of exhortation will not stand now; we need to build, we need to be rooted, we need to be taught if we would stand this season. Assiduous teaching of doctrine must return to the church now. Let’s rise to build!
